In The Heart Of The Leaf
by kingkakarott
Summary: It is said that the fate of a person is decided before he is born. Naruto Uzumaki does not believe that. See how the change in a single event from the original timeline brought forth change to the ninja world. See how a single decision, made by Naruto Uzumaki, changes his fate.
1. Hyuga affair arc: part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never had, never will. Kishimoto beat me to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"speach"

' _thoughts'_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In The Heart Of The Leaf.

It is said that one's fate is decided even before he is born. From the moment one takes his first breath to the time he takes his last he is nothing but a pawn in the hands of those controlling his destiny. His is one of those millions of fates that are spread across the universe like a complex system of interconnected strings. Amongst this chaos a string stands out shining brightly like a sun itself, lighting up the others it is entwined with. The fate of a boy, burdened by destiny.

But let it not be said that Naruto Uzumaki was a puppet of fate. Instead he looked it in the eye saying ' _Fuck you_ '. Though, either it be fate or the determination to never give up, Naruto Uzumaki would go on to become a _Legend_.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarutobi Hiruzen, third hokage of konohagakure no sato, was having a busy day. He was neck deep in paperwork and it looked like there might be more of it after this. He knew that it was important but he could not bring himself to concentrate today. He glanced at the clock and sighed leaning back in his chair. A few hours left in his meeting with the daimyo. His hand absentmindedly fumbled with his pipe as he read the new genin entries.

' _dammit_ '

He picked up the pipe, another sigh escaping his lips. He had no doubt he wouldn't be able to go through half of the paperwork on his desk today. He was too distracted for it. His hand reached for the crushed tobacco leaves, accidentally tipping the jar they were in off the desk.

' _Yes, too distracted'_

Well why cry over spilled milk..er tobacco

The hokage reached down picking a hanfull of leaves from the scattered pile, stuffing them in his pipe. An E ranked fire jutsu had the leaves smouldering. He chewed on the end of the pipe before inhaling.

' _This should calm me down'_

He stood up from his chair, back creaking from sitting for long hours.With swift steps he reached the window, gaze wandering over the horizon. Four faces carved into stone for generations to remember. The hokage mountain gave an intimidating presence, if not for its scale than definetly for the people it presented.

Legends in there own rights. Hokage of konoha.

He shifted his view over to the academy grounds. Children running here and there, unaware of the creulties of the world that awaited them. They would soon be soldiers under his command. Some of them might even perish following _his_ orders.

' _I'm getting too old for this_ '

Burdened by this thought, the hokage moved away from the window, seating himself back in his chair. His eyes once again moved towards the clock, as if forcing it to move faster. He sighed for what looked like an umpteenth time before turning to glare at the pile of papers on his desk.

"Better get this over with".

How he wished he could burn it all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Haruyoshi dono, welcome to Konoha, I hope you had no trouble travelling here."

"Skip the formalities Hiruzen, tell me how are you old friend. It's been three years since we last met."

The Hokage gave the diamyo a calculating look. Asuka Haruyoshi had always been a pleasant man. But he did not fool himself into thinking that _he_ would travel all this way from the capital just to have a light chat and the suddenness of the meeting proved the point.

The diamyo smiled seeing the look he was given.

"Always the serious one eh Hiruzen", the diamyo said good naturedly.

The hokage did not ease his demenour. Being a leader of a military village he knew that this meeting would only result in more headache for him. His village was already recovering from the previous war and an attack from a bijuu, he was not ready to deal with another conflict.

The diamyo sighed, leaning back in his chair. For a moment no one said a thing, only the chirping of the birds and the clicking of the fountain piece in the garden, outside the diamyo's temporary residence, disturbed the lingering silence.

"It's Kumo."

The Hokage remained silent as if asking for the diamyo to elaborate. Kumo and Konoha did not have freindly relations. They had fought for opposite sides in the war. If Kumo was planning something now Konoha would be in dire circumstances. It was not well hidden that Kumo had been amassing power these past few years. The treaty between villages, for demilitarizing in times of peace, had just been a coverup. With two well trained jinchūriki and the largest number of forces between all the hidden villages, Konoha would be hard pressed to defend itself.

But Haruyoshi did not say a word. He reached inside his robes and pulled out an ornate scroll, placing it between them on the table.

The leader of the leaf village reached out smoothly taking the scroll from where it was placed bringing it to his eye level . He unfurled it in one swift motion, studying it carefully. His eyes darted over the writing, then again as if to see if it was real. A perplexed expression crossed his elderly face as his eyes rose to meet those of the daimyo.

"Is the seal authentic.", he asked.

"Indeed, it is. Masaharu dono sent a messenger from his royal court. It was verified that it is his personal seal.", Haruyoshi replied

"A request by the Raikage to send a delegation to Konoha, to sign a non aggression treaty, approved by their daimyo, with no prior notice. After _they_ declined peace talks with us. Well..."

The daimyo chuckled,

"The way you put it Hiruzen, it sure does sound suspicious."

"It sure does."

There were a few seconds of silence both men regarding each other thoughtfully.

"What do you think Hiruzen"

The kage sighed, the wrinkles on his face deepening.

"This is totally unexpected, Kumo does not gain anything from this treaty. It may be... no, _it is_ an attempt at infiltration under the guise of peace talks, I'm certain of it. But as it stands we cannot decline the request, as it may seem that Konoha is opposed to the idea of peace"

He took a deep breath before continuing

"Send the message that Konoha will entertain the delegation. The signing will take place in a week's time and will be in a public setting. Accommodations will be provided for a single night. Further stay will be taken as a threat to the security of the village. Above mentioned details are non negotiable"

The Hokage stood up from his seated position, robes fluttering from the sudden movement.

"Now if you would excuse me I have to strenghten the village security for an infiltration attempt in a week's time.It would do us no good to look weak in front of the enemy"

Recieving a small nod, he turned around and marched towards the exit of the residence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A week later:

Hiruzen cursed.

Things had not gone as planned and now the village was at risk of war. How could this have happened? he did not know. He had taken every precaution so that the signing of the treaty could go without a hitch, but no, the Kumo ambassador had to kidnap the Hyuga heir.

Now he had a vengeful clan to deal with. Add in to that, Kumo had the gal to blame them for breaking the treaty by killing their ambassador. He massaged his growing headache.

"Hokage sama, Kumo is demanding that we hand them Hyuga Hiashi's dead body"

The kage just stared at the chunin, making him fidget nervously.

"Hokage sama..."

"Alert the Hyuga clan, tell them to set up a clan council. I will be there shortly "

The chunin was out of the office the next instant.

"Anbu", the hokage barked

The air in the office shimmered revealing a black clad Anbu in a dog mask standing there. His dhoulders were stiff and back ramrod straight. It would have done him no good to agravate the Hokage even more with his usual frivolous attitude.

"Report"

"We have secured the perimeter around their residence. All remaining members of the delegation are dead except one, they had cynide pills in case their plan failed. It seems Raikage had taken measures for plausible deniability. They made it seem like we were at fault.", the anbu reported.

"Yes, it looks like they had it well thought out. They had a backup plan in case of failiure, blaming us and demanding Hyuga Hiashi's dead body as reconciliation. Of course, either way they gain the Byakugan.They knew Konoha is too weak for another war, and played it to their advantage."

The room was silent as both men realized the weight behind those words.

"Continue"

"Of course Hokage sama, the anbu have identified the bodies. Harui ichiro, Tamui jizo, yama Kurokumo and E. E was missing from the site hence we believe he is alive and at large inside the village walls.

The hokage's gaze sharpened at this.

"How he escaped Hawk's notice, we do not know. We have tightened the security at every available exit and our best trackers are currently sniffing him out.

He paused to take a breath.

"The civilian sectors were the first to be secured. We have reason to believe he is taking refuge in the forests in the eastern section of the village."

The kage wrung his fingers together. leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, make sure you find him. Leave no leaf unturned. He must be quickly dealt with before he can do any harm. Those forests are rather close to the orphanage, so get an anbu stationed there, you have to appreh..."

He abruptly cut himself off as he came to a startling realization. His eyes widened in panic.

This was their plan from the begening. This was no mere coincidence. Those did not exist in the ninja world. The whole fiasco with The Hyuga clan had just being a distraction. A side mission, a bonus. This was what they were after. This was the real mission.

He could see the way the anbu stiffened, he had come to the same conclusion.

' _The orphanage_ '

' _Naruto!_ '

Before the Hokage's pipe hit the ground both men had disappeared.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He sat on the tree branch, legs dangling. He had escaped from the orphanage, and now sat alone in the clearing. He would often come here when he wanted to be alone.

He rolled his head back so he could stare at the stars. He wondered if the kind, old man would come today. He would sometimes come to the clearing to tell him stories of ninja. They always had him facinated.

Naruto grinned, he knew he wanted to become a ninja. He wondered if the old man was also a ninja. He would ask. Maybe he would teach him all the cool ninja stuff. Naruto laughed, exited at the prospect of bieng able to breath fire and punch through walls.

"yea I'm goin to be the bestest ninja in the whole world, believe it!", He proclaimed loudly.

Just then he heard the rustling of the leaves behind him and a hand clamped over his mouth.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His heart drummed rapidly in his chest as he made his way through the foilage. He was deep in enemy territory. He knew it would do him no good to get caught now. The Raikage was counting on him to complete this mission. They had already failed to get the Byakugan and he did not know what the Raikage would do if he went back empty handed.

When they had recieved intel that Konoha was housing the Kyuubi jinchūriki and that it was an untrained child, the Kumo council had been estatic. The Raikage had set forward a team for the mission. They were instructed that under no circumstance should they let it be known that they were acting on orders.

He could feel the suicide pill wedged between his gums and his cheek.

' _You fail. You die._ '

He shook his head as if to get rid of the echo. It would do him no good to lose his cool now. He took a deep breath to calm his rising nerves.

Their contact had provided them sufficient information along with a picture of the target, when they had arrived in Konoha. He had to rendezvous with him at the bank of Naka river, where he would be provided a safe exit from this place.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a loud voice. Taking cover into a tree, if it turned out to be a threat, he peared from between the leaves.

From here he could see a clearing only a few feet ahead. Bright orange caught the edge of his vision. There. The same Kid he was looking for. The clearing had sufficient visibility under the moonlight so he could clearly see the the boy.

"--estest ninja in the whole world, believe it!"

' _so the kid wants to be a ninja'_

' _Well',_ he supposed, ' _Maybe a Kumo ninja'_.

He quietly circled the clearing so that he was right behind the boy.

' _Good, he hasn't noticed me yet'_

He slowly moved forward. Only the slightest rustling of leaves giving indication of his movement. Before the boy had a chance to react, his hand shot forward tightly clamping over the boys mouth.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The moment Naruto felt the hand cover his mouth, he started to struggle. His mind instinctively registering the threat. His tiny hands clawing at the larger one. A distant part of his mind wondered if he was bieng kidnapped. He was starting to panic. In a desperate attempt to free himself he bit down hard on the hand. It jerked away from him making him lose his balance. He positioned himself midair so that he landed on his feet and dashed off deeper into the forest, his speed betraying his tiny frame.

E cursed, massaging his hand. His contact had told him that the boy had no ninja training. The way the boy augmented his speed with chakra proved otherwise. He wondered if it was a subconcious action. The boy had also showed great maneuverability. The child could not be much older than four but he could still see the beginnings of a ninja.

But still he was a Jonin and no mere child could outrun him. With a burst of speed he was standing in front of the boy. The boy did not stop, instead jumping high and punching. His eyes widened as he could faintly feel the chakra surrounding boy's fist.

His left hand grabbed the boys wrist, right already buried in the boys stomach. He had to be carefull not to kill the boy. The boy was unconscious before he hit the ground. For a moment E just stared at the boy. The boy had unlocked his chakra at such a young age and was able to use it. He did not know that if the boy himself knew what he was doing, using chakra to enhance the body. Kumo would have great use of him.

He slung the boy over his shoulder, making a beeline towards the river. Now all that was left to do was escape the village unnoticed. He was sure that he had covered his trail well, by the time they would get wind of him he would be halfway across the border.

He could see the rendezvous point as he broke through the treeline. Maybe a kilometer away. He could reach it in half a minute. He readjusted the boy on his shoulder. He had ran full speed through the forest, non-stop for an hour. Even for a ninja that was pushing it. He smirked, sure that the Raikage would reward him for completing the mission. The effort was worth it in the end.

"Those fools. Leaving their Jinchūriki ungaurded like that. Serves them right."

"The only fool here is you."

He jumped, startled. Eyes wide with panic. His hand immediately going for his holster. He swiveled around to face his assailant, hand now armed with a kunai, firmly in a reverse grip, positioned defensively in front of his body.

A single sharingan eye stared back at him.

His world collapsed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Aaaaaaaaaaand cut! Shows over. Dont forget to leave your reviews. Until next time Kingkakarott signing out :P**


	2. Hyuga affair arc: part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never had, never will. Kishimoto beat me to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In The Heart Of The Leaf.

The moment Kakashi had realized that it was Naruto, that Kumo was after, he did not waste any more time in doing a shunshin jutsu. A spike in chakra behind him, and the Hokage was beside him. Not one word was spoken as they sped through the forest at inconceivable speeds. Though one could not say that their minds were just as calm. As for Kakashi, his was a jumbled mess. Although one thought stuck out.

' _Minato sensei will be disappointed '_

It was nothing new. Many a times in his life, Kakashi had wondered how his sensei would feel about him, if he could see him right now. His mind had always provided him the answer.

' _Disappointed '_

Kakashi had always dismissed the thought, but now as he ran through the trees to save said Sensei's son, the thought truly struck home and Kakashi could not help but despair.

His hand came up tracing the hard surface of Anbu mask. He had joined the Anbu to hide. Hide from his failiures that haunted his dreams everyday, hide from the pain he felt inside everytime his gaze fell upon the memorial stone, hide from people he considered close, so that their loss would not hurt him. To the world he might have been a fearless ninja, but Kakashi himself knew how much of a coward he was.

He shook his head to get rid of the thought, it would do him no good to get distracted. Breaking out from the state of self misery, he inspected his surroundings. The orphange was close, he just hoped they weren't too late. His head suddenly snapped to the left.

' _There_ '

A spike of chakra. Unrefined and wild but unmistakable. He wondered how it was possible for a three year old boy with no ninja training, to be able to use chakra. Clan kids had the privilege, they were introduced to chakra at around this age but it was not possible for them to mould it until proper training.

He could see the Hokage had noticed it too. Naruto was not at the orphanage. A child shouldn't be roaming the forest at this hour. They could not sense anyone else in the area, but it was possible for a jonin to mask his chakra to evade their senses. If that was the case, a spike of chakra could mean that the boy had used it as means to attack or escape said jonin, both cases bieng a fools errand.

They masked their own chakra and zoned in on the area, where the chakra had spiked, as fast as their legs could carry them. The sight they were greeted were with, was an unconcious naruto laying face down with their target standing over him. Kakashi's hand clenched, ready to go in for the kill but was refused the opporunity when the hokage's hand tightly clamped on his bicep. He turned around giving the hokage a sharp look that went unnoticed behind the Anbu mask. The hokage remained calm giving no indication of the worry he felt for the boy. His hand went through a series of handsigns, that Kakashi quickly interpreted as an order.

' _Follow discretely. No contact until ordered. Secure package first. Capture alive. No kill move_.'

Kakashi did not reply, but made no further move to engage their target. He knew the Hokage was right. Attacking now would get Naruto in harms way, furthermore capturing the target alive would have more benefits. Kumo could be proven guilty and they could gain village secrets.

The hokage removed his hand when he was sure Kakashi had calmed down. No one noticing the bruise where the hokage had grabbed. They saw the jonin pick the boy up and run towards the direction of the Naka river. Both men remained a safe distance away following him. He was fast, for your average run on the mill jonin that is, for them, they were having no trouble keeping up. They followed him non stop for an hour as he ran through the vast forests of Konoha. None of them using chakra, to avoid detection (would have taken much less otherwise).

When it was clear that the jonin was indeed headed for the river the Hokage started making more handsigns.

' _Clear area 100 meters ahead. Set up an ambush. Primary mission secure package. Secondary mission capture target._ '

Kakashi gave the barest of nods, the only indication that he had been paying attention and sped forward in a wide arc. He was careful to stay out of sensing range. Soon overtaking the jonin, he broke through the treeline. A sealless shadow clone, that leapt into the trees as soon as he was created, and a moguragakure no jutsu later the trap was set. And just in time too, as seconds later the jonin leapt out of the treeline right on top of where he was hiding.

"Those fools. Leaving their jinchuriki ungaurded like that. Serves them right."

' _He always has bear with him. You were just lucky he was reassigned to the village walls. He would've cut you into ribbons.'_

"The only fool here is you."

Kakashi sighed. Which was a little weird with him still underground.

You know the thing about Kage bunshin no jutsu was that when a person created a copy of himself he also gave them a certain personality trait. It was popular belief that shadow clones were pre-programed with instructions of what the user wants them to do at the time of creation. Though it was true to some extent, what most people failed to realize was that clones could choose whether or not to follow said instructions. Shadow clones were autonomous, meaning they could act independently. Thus most shadow clones adopted a part of the users personality as an anchor to justify their actions.

In this case his shadow clone had adopted his flair for dramatics. He could even imagine it. Standing behind the man, masked removed, sharingan uncovered, radiating killing intent. He wished he could see the look on the jonins face.

' _Time to finish this'_

His hands shot up, wrapping his fingers in an iron grip around the jonin's ankles. Before the man could do anything, he was buried neck deep underground. Kakashi wasted no time in knocking him out. A kick to the temple was all it took. It proved to be a wise decision when he extracted the suicide pill from the man's mouth. The Hokage would have been pissed if the man had died. The pill turned to ash a second later.

Kakashi turned towards his clone, who had an unconcious Naruto slung over his shoulder. Taking Naruto from him, he placed the boy on the ground and checked for any injuries. The shadow clone meanwhile dug the jonin out of the ground. Kakashi tensed slightly when the leaves rustled behind him before relaxing. The Hokage emerged from behind the trees coming to stand beside him. His eyes flicked towards the clone at work before they settled on the prone form of Naruto.

"Take him to the interrogation department and have Inoichi do the mind walk. He will provide valuble intel on Kumo. Tell them to make him confess that the Raikage had authorized the mission, by any means necessary, also that they keep an eye on him."

"Yes hokage sama."

"Gather the anbu, have them assembled at the HQ and brief them about the situation. Have them assigned back to their original posts as soon as possible.

"What about Naruto, Hokage sama."

"I will take him back with me to the tower. This was his first experience with the ninja world and at such a young age that is. Those can be traumatic and I fear that he would not be able cope up with it. I intend to talk to him about it."

Kakashi nodded at the Hokage, turning to where his clone had successfully dug out their prisoner. Dismissing it, he slung the jonin over his shoulder and started running towards village's TI department. The hokage did the same with Naruto, albiet more gently, before he too started running towards the tower.

Both men were unaware of the two eyes observing them from a certain rendezvous point, a kilometer away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He groaned as his senses returned to him. His eyes adjusted to the light of the unfamiliar room he was in, which was a stark contrast to the dark forest he had been in earlier.

' _The forest...'_

He jumped from where he was lying and was immediately hit by the vertigo caused by the suddenness of the movement. He stumbled, falling face first on the ground, as his feet caught onto something. This time he made no effort to get up. Two feet shuffled into his field of vision. He tilted his head tracing a path to the person's face. A familiar face.

' _Jiji_ '

The Hokage chuckled picking up naruto from the ground and placing him on the couch. He went to his desk retrieving a pill and a glass of water.

"Here, take this. It'll help"

Naruto sat up slowly and obediently took the pill and swallowing it with a gulp of water. He immediately started coughing face scrunched into a grimace.

"Old man, what did ya gimme. It tastes like shit."

The hokage smiled, a fond look in his eyes.

"Wait Jiji, what are you doing here, where's the evil ninja guy", Naruto suddenly exclaimed.

"About that Naruto, we have captured the man. He was from an enemy village and was here to kidnap you. I brought you back to my office after the incident. Tell me Naruto how do you feel.", the kage calmly observed the boy in front of him.

"My tummy is sore and I feel like Im about to puke. Otherwise Im fine."

The hokage raised an eyebrow, but said nothing .

"But Jiji, I dont understand, why me."

He had expected that question. It was obvious that the boy would want a reason. But the hokage still felt as if the words were stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and knelt down in front of the boy. His hands grabbed the boy's shoulders and he looked straight into his eyes.

"You are special Naruto. Don't ever forget that."

Naruto nodded and leapt forward enveloping the old man in a tight hug.

The moment was broken by a knock at the door.

"Enter"

Bear was an intimidating figure. Bordering at almost 7 ft he towered over most of his fellow shinobi. An impressive 260 pounds of pure muscle gave justice to his anbu mask. A sword strapped to his back did not help his case. A permenant snarl was etched on the visage of a bear

Any one with enough common sense would not even think of latching onto his arm and poking at his mask.

Naruto did just that.

The hokage chuckled at the anbu's predicament.

"That's soooo cool. Youre a ninja right. I wanna be a ninja too. Is that a sword, wow. I want a sword too. Can I see it, please and why is there a teddy bear on your face."

The kage rose an incredulous eyebrow at the last one.

To Bear's credit he remained impassive to the blonde tyke's scrutiny of him.

"Okay Naruto that's enough, give the poor man a break."

He made a hand sign and another presence entered the scene.

"This is bird. He will escort you to the Sarutobi household, you will be staying there tonight. Now go and rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

Naruto jumped off of bear, waving at him and bounded towards bird.

"See ya later jiji."

The hokage smiled as the door clicked shut. He could faintly hear the boy nagging bird with questions.

"Hokage sama"

His eyes darted to the only other person in the room and his smile vanished. This wasgoing to be troublesome.

' _I sound like a Nara_ '

"Do you know why have I called you here."

"Negative Hokage sama."

"It is to discuss the future of the boy "

The anbu remained silent

' _Sigh'_

"Azuna..."

The anbu tensed, hands clenched into fist.

"Sit"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Hyuga clan was in utter chaos. The moment the Chunin messenger had brought the news there had been an uproar. First the heiress of their clan had been kidnapped and now Kumo had demanded the clan heads dead body. Many of the Clan members had petitioned at declaring war on Kumo. Hiashi Hyuga had remained silent. The clan council had been called and the elders had been summoned. That had been two hours ago.

Hizashi Hyuga glanced around room another time taking in all the faces. His gaze lingered on the stoic face of his brother as he sat there, his eyes closed. He wondered how the man could remain calm at moments like this. Maybe that was the reason he was the clan head. His hand absentmindedly went to his forehead where the seal was embedded.

' _Maybe that is why he was chosen. Maybe it was his fate all along and this is mine. To be cast aside, to forever be in my brother's shadow'_

He shook his head to get the thought out.

Hizashi was an oddity in the Hyuga clan. While most of the Hyuga believed that a fate of a person was decided the moment he was born, he on the other hand believed that each person walked his own path and forged their own destiny. This was the reason he was not liked by the elder's of the clan. Even his own father.

He eyes caught the eyes of his father at that moment. A vien on his temple bulged.

How he despised the man. He was the reason he had been marked with the seal. He was the reason his son had to cover his forehead.

His hand clenched.

' _Neji'_

He averted his gaze.

It would do him no good to agravate the elders. He was already mocked by them due to his idealistic belief, but he did not want them to hurt Neji because of him.

' _One day the bird will be free. When the time comes it will spread its wings and soar high'_

"The Hokage has arrived"

He broke out of his thoughts to see the wizened old man already seated on his chair.

"Let us commence this meeting"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he woke up, the first thing he realized was that he was in a dark room bound to a chair, as naked as a newborn baby and had several suppressor seals attached to his arms. The second thing he realized was that he had a concussion and a broken jaw.

Then he panicked

Because the third thing he realized was that the pill was gone.

"Raikage sama will be pissed.", E muttered to himself.

"He will be, for sure."

His head shot towards the western corner of the wall where a shadowy figure stood shrouded by darkness.

The fourth thing he realized was that he was not alone.

He began struggling against his bounds but was unsuccessful. He reached inside of him trying to locate an ounce of chakra but the seals held it out of his reach.

"Show yourself, Konoha scum "

The figure stepped forward

"Its you... you ratted us out didnt you", E's voice dripped with venom.

"I did no such thing, it was merely your failings that led you here"

"Then why are you here.", E said, his voice heavy as if knowing what was to come.

The mysterious figure did not reply, instead extracted a kunai from his pouch.

His hand blurred.

"To fulfill Danzo sama's orders"

The figure then burst into a thousand insects, dispersing into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

No more than a second later the door to the room opened.

"So tell me Kakashi, what did you bring in today.", Ibiki asked stepping foot into the room.

"Ah, it was quite an interesting catch. You'll surely have fun with this one."

"Yeah, if Inoichi here doesn't mess him up. I swear that technique of his gives me the creeps."

"Yes, Yamanaka san has quite a reputa..."

Kakashi froze mid sentence seeing the look on Inoichi's face. He followed the blonde man's eyes and soon his face matched that of Inoichi's.

' _Ah shit.'_

The cooling corpse of the Kumo nin stared back. A Kunai lodged right between the eyes.

Ibiki was the one to break the silence.

"Hokage sama is going to be pissed ."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Let us commence this meeting.", Hiashi Hyuga announced as the Hokage seated himself.

The wizened old man observed silently as Hiashi began to state the events of the night.

He could feel a headache brewing.

This night had gone from bad to worst to him wanting to slit the Raikage's throat.

His face darkened as he recalled a particular event minutes before this meeting.

: _Flashback:_

 _You are dismissed, return to priamry post"_

 _"Hai hokage sama"_

 _The black ops agent latched his mask back on and turned to leave._

 _"Please Azuna consider it"_

 _No reply came, the Anbu dissapeared from sight in a perfect **shunshin**._

 _The old man sighed. He was feeling tired but he knew he could not sleep. He still had a meeting with the Hyuga's to look forward to._

 _For the first time during this hectic night the Hokage had a moment to himself._

 _"I hope that Inoichi has extracted sufficient information from the Kumo nin"_

 _The knowledge they would gain from him could give them the upper hand over Kumo. Furthermore it would even pacify the Hyuga's, who were no doubt up in arms by now. He himself would have to give the man a visit tomorrow. That man was the key to solving all his issues._

 _He hoped Ibiki was taking care of him_

 _A sinister smile spread over his face, he chuckled at the thought._

 _Yeah he knew he was a sick bastard._

 _The chuckle became a full blown laugh. It was disturbing and downright creepy. If he had an audience, he would have been reported for mental health issues but he was alone right now and needed a release from all the pent up frustrations._

 _*sigh*_

 _"What is it Kakashi "_

 _The Anbu appeared in the centre of the room and from what Sarutobi could feel his chakra fluctuated erratically._

 _'Nervousness'_

 _The hokage immediately sobered. Kakashi and nervous did not go together. Something was wrong, seriously wrong._

 _"Ah the thing is well..."_

 _"For God's sake say it already"_

 _"The kumo nin is dead"_

 _There was a beat, in which the Hokage processed the words. Then a thick blanket of chakra descended over the room. The air shimmered under the pressure. A gasp escaped Kakashi's mouth as he was subjected to the God of shinobi's chakra presence. His jaw clenched as he made an effort to remain standing._

" _Did I hear that correctly_.", _The Hokage's tone was leveled, Kakashi had never heard a more frightening sound._

" _H-hai Hokage sama. he was found dead at 0300 hours. Kunai to the head."_

 _The hokage slamed his hand on the desk_

 _"Why wasn't he guarded_.", _The old man suddenly barked. Kakashi grimaced as if hit._

" _Two gaurds. None saw the assailant. The enemy was good, good enough to deceive two anbu."_

 _"What about the sight of the crime, hidden doors, underground tunnels or traps. Anything ."_ , _Hiruzen was now pacing around the room._

 _"None. The entire room was sweeped and everything seemed in place. The only outside influence was the kunai, one of Konoha design"_

 _The Hokage stopped in his tracks._

 _The pressure in the room dissipated_.

' _Of course '_

 _"The roots that support the tree have decayed. I fear it may not survive the wind. The leaves that provide us shadows will wither and the will of fire that illuminates us will be dimmed."_

 _Kakashi remained silent but there was a knowing glint in his single eye._

 _"Make sure that no one finds out about this. Especially not the Hyuga. We do not want a civil war. Dismissed."_

 _He did not wait to see Kakashi dissapear from the office. Picking up his hat he moved towards the window overseeing his village_

 _"So you have made your move Danzo"_

 _Then without a warning he too dissapeared into thin air. The Hyuga compound his next destination._

 _:Flashback end:_

"--what our clan faces today is one of its most difficult trails. But do not worry, for we are Hyuga. Fate favours us--"

' _If only you knew Hiashi'_

The old man was roused out of his thoughts at bieng addressed.

"-will now request the Hokage to present his thoughts so the council may reach a suitable conclusion too this issue --"

The rustling of clothes could be heard as the hokage stood up.

cough*

"The Hyuga are one of Konoha's most valuble assets. Today what Kumo has done did not only effect the clan but Konoha as whole."

He took a deep breath

"While most of us here, including me, believe that Kumo's treachery should be dealt with an iron fist, Im afraid that would not be possible."

"What do you mean. Are you suggesting that we agree to their demands."A hyuga elder asked heatedly.

"No, what I am saying is that the hyuga should not retaliate. Waging a war against Kumo will not solve any issues. I cannot let this village get ravaged by war for your clans broken pride.The wellfare of the village far outweighs, a single clans grudge.", Hiruzen replied calmly.

"Preposterous! We are Konoha's most noble clan. It is Konoha's duty to us. Who are you to deny us our revenge.", The same elder spat at the Hokage .

Silence descended over the whole room.

Killing Intent.

 _'Let me remind them who I really am'_

"Hyuga, I would suggest you carefully measure your words before speaking in my presence."

The elder was on his knees. The contents of his earlier meal before him.

" You ask who I am. Let me tell you. I am _Shinobi no Kami,_ Sarutobi Hiruzen, your Hokage. You would do well to remember that."

"Hoshi san, that is enough, you are excused from this meeting", Hiashi intervened before the man had a heart attack.

When the Elder had left, Hiashi spoke again.

"I apologize for his behaviour Hokage sama"

"There is no need Hiashi. Now tell me what have you decided regarding this issue."

He did not speak for a moment. But when he did his words shocked everyone. Even the Hokage.

"I am fully prepared to sacrifice myself for the good of the village. This is my fate's decree ."

Then as one the whole council went into uproar. This went on for a few moments before a voice cut in.

"I have a better suggestion"

Hiashi glanced at his father, the previous head of the Hyuga.

"We must not let Kumo gain the Byakugan. As such Hizashi will take Hiashi's place. His _caged bird seal_ will ensure that our **Kekkei Genkai** remains safe. They are twins hence he can pass off as a body double.

Hiashi sat there, stunned at what his father had suggested.

"I'll do it"

His head snapped towards his brother, whose face betrayed no emotion.

"But why?", was all Hiashi could say.

"It may have been my fate to protect the main house but I'm not doing this because of that. I'm doing this to protect my brother, by my own choice."

"I will no allo-- _aargh"_

Hizashi stood there, with his hand glowing with chakra, in front of a kneeling Hiashi.

"Do not stop me brother. It is my chance to defy fate."

"B-but, please Hizashi. We can find another way."

"I will not let fate dictate my life anymore brother. I will embrace death willingly over it"

A small smile spread over his face.

"Someday, when he is ready, tell Neji why I did it."

"H-hizashi..."

"Farewell brother. Hope we meet again in the afterlife."

With those words Hizashi turned and exited the room.

' _At last, the bird was free to spread its wings'_

Hiashi stared at his brother's back. He knew that things would never be the same again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Tap...Tap...Tap._

The sound of footsteps echoed amongst the walls of the room, before finally coming to a stop above a kneeling figure.

"It seems Kumo shinobi are not as skillful as they are made out to be."

"Surely we have overestimated their skill", The kneeling figure replied.

"They were our best bet at gaining control of the Jinchūriki. The plan was simple enough"

' _Let them capture the boy. Kill them. Fake the boy's death. Blame it on them. Keep the boy under isolation. Train him to be his weapon.'_

"Kumo is demanding compensation. The Hyuga might go to war.", The figure stated, still kneeling.

"Let Hiruzen deal with it. For now we stay in the shadows."

"Hai Danzo sama"

"You are dismissed Torune", The kneeling figure, now known as Torune scattered into a thousand insects.

"War is coming, I can feel it and that boy will be Konoha's salvation."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **There we go. Chapter 2 .**

 **Pls leave your thoughts about this one.**

 **Yours truly, Kingkakarott.**


	3. Ninja 101 arc: part 1

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never had, never will. Kishimoto beat me to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Hey guys I'm back with a new chapter. Took a little more time then expected. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In The Heart Of The Leaf 

The first rays of light hit the Hokage monument, indicating the beginning of a new day. It was quite early and most of Konoha was still asleep. A few shinobi could be seen doing their business. Unnoticed, a figure perched on Konoha's greatest landmark silently observed them. A familiar _Bear_ mask dangled from his hip.

As he sat on top of the first Hokage's head on the mountain, Azuna Sarutobi recalled his talk with the Hokage.

 _:Flashback:_

" _Azuna_."

 _His fist involuntarily clenched. It had been a long time since the Hokage had called him by name._

 _"Sit."_

 _His whole posture tense, he stiffly moved to sit in front of the Kage. He could see the man in front of him visibly relax and for the first time the old man looked his age. For a brief moment he felt sympathy for the man but was quick to quell that feeling._

 _"Remove the mask."_

 _A little hesitant at first, he did as asked._

 _"Hokage sa..."_

 _"Were alone you know, I would very much like if you called me father."_

 _His eyes narrowed as he tried not to glare at his village leader._

 _"You haven't been a father to us for years. Why would you expect us to treat you as one."_

 _"I did everything I could.."_

 _"And what good it did. Asuma left."_

 _The room went deathly quite and he instantly regretted saying that._

 _It was well known that the younger of the Sarutobi brothers had a major fallout with the Hokage and had left the village in service of the daimyo. It had been a direct challange to the Kage's_ _authority. The topic was a sore subject amongst the Sarutobi._

 _"You know as well as I do Asuma was in the wrong. He is naive and does not know who the true king really is._ _Yes it is true that there can only be one but it is not me or the Daimyo, it is the next generation. He is a fool not to realize it."_

 _Azuna remained silent_

 _The Hokage sighed heavily._

 _"Well as I told you before. I called you here to discuss the boy's future. As you know he would play a major role in the future events.It goes without saying that Danzo is also interested in the child."_

" _What would you like me to do."_

" _Train him_. _I wish to see him enter the academy in a_ _year_. _This would get Danzo to back off. Get him up to speed so that he doesn't fall back. Until then you will be given leave from your duties as anbu."_

 _The Hokage then leaned back in his chair seeing an uneasy look cross his son's face._

 _"Of course it is your choice. I'm not going to force you into this. But know this, you are the ideal choice._ "

 _"Kakashi..."_

 _"Ah, yes. I already have plans for him. Naruto will be under his tutelage after he_ _graduates. It will help both of them. God knows how much that kid needs it.", He was not talking about Naruto._

 _Azuna knew Kakashi. The_ _man was a prodigy. An ANBU captain at the age of 18 was no small feat after all. But everyone knew that man was messed up in the head._

 _'I dont know if Sakumo sensei would be proud or dissapointed'_

 _He was broken out of his thoughts when the Kage spoke again._

 _"As I said before Azuna, it is your choice. I trust you would make the right one."_

 _"I'll need time."_

 _"You have till tomorrow."_

 _Silence descended amongst them once more. It stretched for a minute before the Hokage spoke again._

 _"How is Konohamaru?"_

 _"Healthy. I'll tell Himako_ _to_ _bring him here to visit you."_

" _Very well. You are dismissed, return to primary post."_

 _"Hai Hokage sama."_

 _He latched his mask back on before rising from his seat._

 _"Please Azuna, consider it."_

 _:Flashback end:_

It was a hard decision for him. Gaurding the boy most of the time had been difficult enough. He could not help but see Kushina in him, his old teammate. Every time the memory came to haunt him.

' _Blood everywhere. Red, lots of red. That face. Dead eyes. The smile. Crying, the baby. Hokage, dead. Blonde hair, red hair. That face again, red hair, the smile, dead voilet eyes. KUSHINA!!!_

He jerked as the memory. Shaking his head to get rid of the flashes, he could already feel a migrane coming.

"I can't, I just can't."

"Sure you can."

Startled by another presence suddenly appear behind him, he unsheathed his tanto. Wind chakra buzzing to life, he held the sword in a reverse grip, an inch from the person's neck.

His gaze narrowed as he realized just who was at his sword's edge.

"Oh it's you."

He withdrew the tanto, the buzz of wind chakra fading away.

"You should be more careful who you sneak up on. A body bag wouldn't suit you Hatake."

"Ma ma, no need to get all angsty."

"Why are you here."

"Well a black cat crossed my path so I took another path, it just so happened to lead me here."

Seeing the deadpan expression thrown at him by Azuna, his single eye then hardened.

"Hokage sama, told me about the arrangement."

"I haven't decided anything yet."

"You should. Kushina-san would've wanted you to."

Kakashi then disappeared before Azuna could say anything. His words echoing in his head.

' _You planned this didn't you. You_ _manipulative old man.'_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What would you like for breakfast Naruto-kun."

"RAMEN."

Himako chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. Just yesterday the boy had been brought to the Sarutobi household and by now it felt as if he was family. She marveled at the boy's outgoing nature. When the ANBU had left the boy in her custody, she had expected him to be shy of the new surroundings but to her surprise the boy had loudly introduced himself and had asked her for her's as well. He had even taken it to calling her Oba-san.

She knew the boy was the jinchūriki of the Kyuubi. Everyone who was alive that day knew it. But when she saw those wide blue eyes, shining with life, she knew she could not hold it against him. It had been the Kyuubi that had killed her mother, not this boy. This innocent, sweet little boy, oblivious of the burden upon him.

She had sat there watching the boy as he slept. He was too young to know the hardships he would have to face in the near future. He would be an outcast.

Dread filled her as she thought of the boy's future. He was an orphan, with no one to support him. An easy prey for the vultures that lurked the darkness in Konoha. She had been a konoichi, she knew.

She planned to have a long talk with the Hokage.

" Oba-san, you alright."

She shook herself out of her thoughts to see Naruto's concerned face staring at her. Smiling back she eased his worries.

"I'm fine dear. Now what did you say you wanted for breakfast."

His mood instantly brightened

"RAMEN."

"You should be eating something healthier."

"But ramen is healthy, dattebayo!"

Himako arched an eyebrow at him.

"Well if you keep eating that stuff on a regular basis, I'm afraid you wont grow up."

A look of horror crossed his face and he sputtered in denial.

"B-but..."

Himako raised her hand to stop his protests.

"I'll cook you eggs for now.", seeing the boy starting to sulk she quickly added.

"We can go out for ramen at lunch. Now be a good boy and go sit at the table. I'll bring you your breakfast."

Naruto obliged, happy at the prospect of getting to eat his favourite dish. Moving out of the kitchen he saw Konohamaru sitting in his baby chair. The toddler was playing with his food, getting most of it on his face.

Naruto wisely chose not to sit next to him.

As he sat on the chair, he could not help but think of the night's events. He even remembered the ninja's face. His stomach still hurt from where he was punched. He had lied yesterday, so as not to worry the old man. The ordeal had been frightening. He shuddered thinking about it.

' _Scary'_

 ***plop***

His hand reached up to clean his cheek. Baby food dripping down his chin. Turning to glare at the one year old across from him, he saw the boy giggling.

"Hey! Whats the big deal."

"Now now. He's just a baby, Naruto.", Himako said as she entered the dining room.

"A stupid baby."

"Dont be like that. Here eat your eggs and no playing with you food."

Naruto grumbled under his breath, but a small smile formed on his lips.

So this is what felt like having a family.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I see you are well Hiruzen. What brings you to my sanctuary."

 _'Sanctuary huh, yeah right'_

Kakashi coughed at that moment, so as not to voice his words.

"Danzo, do not take me for a fool. You know very well why I am here."

Both men apparently chose to ignore him.

His gaze drifted to the _bird_ masked ANBU standing to his right.

' _I wonder how Tenzo is doing'_

The boy, that he had saved a few months ago, stood rigid. Back ramrod straight.

' _Not too well I suppose'_

"I am afraid you lost me there. I have no idea why the Hokage honored me with a visit."

"Enough of this Danzo. Now tell me if the Root had a hand in yesterday's events."

' _Without a doubt'_

"No."

' _Bullshit'_

As I said before, I am not a fool."

"You dont have any proof."

"I dont need one."

 _'Yeah, Hokage and all.'_

Whatever I do, I do for the greater good of this village. My actions are what have kept Konoha as the stongest village all these years."

"These are times of peace. Your actions could have started another war."

"War is inevitable."

' _That man is fucked up in the head.'_

"I have given you enough leeway Danzo. One of my men died yesterday. Be thankful that Root is still of great use to this village. One more transgression like this and I'll disband it. Do not take it lightly when I say this Danzo. You will regret it."

With that the Hokage turned to leave.

"I see you are not as soft as it seemed Hiruzen. Maybe Orochimaru was a special case."

Kakashi could not help but wince. The third's estranged student was a subject everyone treaded lightly on. His recent actions had turned him from a celebrated war hero to a despised villain. The man had become a missing-nin after his escape from Konoha a few months back.

An escape that had only been possible due to the Hokage's inability to kill his student. The man was not proud of it.

To his credit, the Kage did not as much as flinch. He kept a steady pace towards the exit.

' _Better avoid him for the next hour'_

Danzo then looked directly at Tenzo.

"I see that you are doing well Kinoe. You were a good tool, but a blunt tool soon outlives its usefulness."

Tenzo gave a short bow, turned and left. From his tense form it was easy to tell that meeting his former boss was not a pleasent experience for him.

He himself turned and started walking away, not in the mood to listen to the man who had once tried to turn him against the Hokage.

He knew he'll have to look out for him in the future

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is the best ramen I've ever had."

"Ho ho, I see you have a keen taste for ramen boy. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, future ninja of konoha, what's yours old man"

"Naruto-kun behave!", Himako scolded with a glare.

"It's alright, hehe, old man huh. Very well, Teuchi Ichiraku at you service", the Ramen chef said with a flourish of his ladle.

Himako smiled as Naruto and Teuchi conversed animatedly about all kinds of ramen and adjusted Konohamaru in her lap, who was making a mess on the counter top. She was glad there were some people who did not see Naruto as the demon he held, like Teuchi and his daughter, the latter of whom had joined in on their conversation. While she knew the daughter was too young to remember, she was sure the chef must've known.

But not everyone was as openminded as the patrons of this ramen stand. The walk from the compound to here, had been...enlightening.

It had been subtle at first. The cold looks thrown at him were well disguised, but the more the boy spent time in the open the more obvious the glares became. It did not help that Naruto was a ball of sunshine, getting attention wherever he went. Bieng the kid that he was, the boy was oblivious of this. She knew he would be able to notice this in a few more years. That would cause problems. She also feared if it could get worse and that someone might try harming the boy, after all the memory of the Kyuubi was still fresh in the people's minds.

The entire way to Ichiraku she had observed. She had heard whispers when they thought she couldn't listen. She had seen people point and stare. She even saw mothers hide their children and fathers glare at him. It had her worried.

looking back at Naruto, she saw the boy now engaged in a deep conversation with the chef's daughter.

"Na-uh ramen is way better than this tsukamon thingy."

"Its tsukemen Naruto-kun, and its more trendy than ramen. It's lighter, has more flavour and the broth has more texture to it."

"Huh Ayame nee-chan how can you say that. It can't be better than ramen. There's no way."

"It is"

"Is not, dattebayo!"

Seeing Naruto was done with his portion, she dropped a few ryo on the counter to cover for their meal and moved to get up.

"Come Naruto-kun, we need to take Konohamaru to visit the Hokage."

"Oh yeah. Bye Teuchi jiji, Bye Ayame nee-chan."

"Bye Naruto, come back soon"

Oh he would surely come back, Ichiraku was his new favorite place.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Naruto, I see you have already met Himako and Konohamaru."

"Yeah, Oba-san is awesome ya know. She even bought me ramen. Konohamaru is ok I guess, he throws food at me. I think he doesn't like me."

The Hokage chuckled.

"Give him time, he'll come around."

He then turned towards Himako.

"Thankyou for bringing Konohamaru here. I haven't seen him in days. Looks like he grew up a little."

"You should spend more time with him you know."

"I'll try."

They were interrupted by another presence entering the office.

"Hokage sama."

" _Bear,_ I see that you have come to a decision."

A nod from the ANBU was the only answer, for both this question and the unasked one.

"Very well. Naruto, Come here boy."

"Huh, Why is Teddy bear man here. Am I in trouble. I swear It wasnt me, Konohamaru stole the cookies from the jar."

"No, nothing like that. I just want to ask you a question."

"So that's it. Sure."

"Tell me Naruto. What does the word 'Ninja' mean to you."

"Oh, thats easy. Ninja are super powerful people. They can do awesome stuff like breathe fire or walk on water. I want to become a ninja too, oneday."

"Well Naruto why do you want to become a ninja."

His face scrunched up in thought.

"Well they're strong aren't they. I want to be strong too, so that I can protect Oba-san and Konohamaru and you and Teuchi-jiji and Ayame nee-chan and..."

"We get it Naruto, you want to protect people who precious to you. That is a noble thought."

The hokage then placed a hand on Naruto's head and looked at him fondly.

"I have decided. In one year you will be enrolled in the shinobi academy where you will learn all about being a good ninja."

Naruto practically glowed.

"But before that you will have to be prepared. Most of the clan children start their clan training around this age. We do not want you to fall behind your peers, hence as of tomorrow _Bear_ would be in charge of seeing that you don't become dead last of your class."

"Is he good."

Azuna's eye twitched beneath his mask

"Yes he is. He will make sure your skills are on par with the other candidates."

"So he'll teach me cool ninja techniques.", Naruto asked, giddy at the prospect of doing stuff he had only read before in storybooks."

Azuna decided to speak up.

"They're called jutsu kid. And before you get exited about anything, no I'll not be teaching you jutsu until you know how to handle the basics. Though I think a little runt like you might not even be able to do that. "

"Hey..."

His protests were cut short when the man spoke again.

"The training will start at 10 'o' clock tomorrow morning. Be sure that you are ready."

He then vanished in a _shunshin._

"Geez, who is that guy.", the boy asked, already peeved at the man's casual dismissal of him.

"Konohamaru's father.", Himako provided an answer.

Naruto looked at the toddler with an odd expression.

" What, that grumpy man is his father? No wonder Konohamaru doesn't like me."

" Give the man some time Naruto. I know you'll come to like him."

"I'm not sure jiji."

Himako decided this was a good opportunity to talk about Naruto's situation.

"Naruto-kun, would you please excuse us for a minute. I have an important matter to discuss with the Hokage. Sit outside, until then. We'll head home when I'm done here."

"Okay"

"And close the door, will you dear."

'click'

"Father, are you aware of the people's reactions to Naruto's presence.", she asked after making sure the boy wasn't eavesdropping.

"Yes"

"So why don't you do anything."

"I do not have the power to change people's opinions. I cannot change the way they see the boy, a scapegoat for their anger and pain. I did everything I could so that the boy might live a normal life, but the wound dealt by the kyuubi had been too great. They even disregarded the fourth's wish, that the boy be seen as a hero."

"You know that it might escalate right? They might try to harm him."

"The boy has protection 24/7. Nothing will happen."

"It did not stop the Kumo ninja from trying."

She had been one of the few to be informed of yesterday's events as to why the boy was left in her custody, but even she did not know the whole story. She had asked Azuna, when he had returned late at night, after the kids were long asleep. Even he was not allowed to tell her the details. It had seemed to her as if they were trying to hide something. The Hokage's reply seemed to confirm her suspicions

"There were other forces at work"

She had a hunch as to what these forces were.

"Does this have something to do with Naruto-kun's early enrollment into the shinobi academy. He is barely a few months older than three as of now"

"Let's leave it at that."

"But still do you believe that he can endure it, all this hatred and lonliness"

"There is nothing we can do."

"We can put him under custody of the Sarutobi clan."

"Don't you think I already thought of that. Us trying to gain custody of Naruto-kun would be seen as an attempt to usurp more power by the Sarutobi clan. The best I can do for him is provide him a seperate residence with a caretaker and a monthly allowance."

"Well then I volunteer to be his caretaker."

"Are you sure you're up to it. You already have Konohamaru to take care off. It might prove to be quite stressful."

"I used to be in the ANBU. I can handle it"

The Hokage smiled

"Very well, bring him here tomorrow after his training with Azuna. I'll show you the apartment and you can help him settle in."

' _Im proud of you Himako'_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"'Hey Oba-san, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes dear."

They were sitting at the table eating dinner. Konohamaru was already asleep in his cot.

"What is a Hokage. The teddy bear guy...er, I mean Kono's dad, he kept calling old man by that word. What does it mean."

"You don't know that?"

Seeing the nagative shake of his head, she answered.

"The Hokage is the leader of our village, the strongest ninja alive. He protects the people with his power and everyone respects him for it."

Naruto was flabbergasted that the old man was the strongest ninja of the village.

"Woah! Old man is super powerful huh. I'm gonna be strong someday too and then I'll be Hokage."

"You'll have to work really hard then. To become Hokage is a very difficult task, not everyone gets the title. Only the most determined, hard working and skilled succeed. They are the best of the best "

Naruto Uzumaki made a decision then.

"I'll be the best, dattebayo!"

That would rock the foundations of the ninja world.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Tadaaaaaa.**

 **And cut.**

 **The Ninja 101 arc has begun.**


	4. Ninja 101 arc: part 2

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never had, never will. Kishimoto beat me to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In The Heart Of The Leaf

 _Splash_

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh."

"Get up Uzumaki."

Sarutobi Azuna stood there with his hands in a dog seal.

"Hey, what's the big deal.", came the indignant shout from a thoroughly drenched Naruto.

"It's time for your training. Get dressed and meet me at the training ground, here in the compound."

Naruto grumbled under his breath as the man dissapeared into thin air.

"I'm gonna kick his butt just you watch, dattebayo!"

"I'm sure you will, now hurry up. You wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Himako was standing at the door with a towel in hand and a knowing smile on her face.

Half an hour later a not-so-wet Naruto was accompanied by Himako to the training ground.

"Here we are Naruto-kun, now be a good boy and train hard."

"Hai Oba-san."

She then turned towards Azuna, who was standing patiently in the middle of the small field.

"I'll come back in 2 hours to check on him."

A single nod from the man was all she got.

"Have fun Naruto-kun."

The woman left the two alone after that.

"Alright, let's do this...er, what do you want me to do?"

"Keep quiet."

"Ok thats easy, I can totally keep quiet."

Naruto made an exaggerated show of silencing himself by covering his mouth with a hand and holding his breath.

Azuna raised an incredulous eyebrow, before coughing into his fist to get the kid's attention, who by now was turning purple from the lack of air.

"If you're done with your foolishness Uzumaki, I would like to begin our session."

He unlatched his mask and for the first time Naruto got a glimpse at the man's face.

"Woah! You look just like jiji, but less old."

Brown hair, spiked backwards swayed in the light morning breeze. A goatee visible on his angular jaw. Black eyes that were sharp. A single mark below each lower eyelid, indicating him as the summoner of the monkey clan.

Indeed, Sarutobi Azuna was the spitting image of his father.

"Your observational skills are on par."

The man was being sarcastic.

"Let's start with introductions. My name is Sarutobi Azuna, third generation summoner of the monkey clan and ninjutsu specialist. Your turn."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I like Ramen.

Azuna sweat-dropped.

' _Just like Kushina'_

He shook his head to get rid of the image.

"Alright, I have your training for the year mapped out. First of all, tell me what do you know about Chakra.

"Catra, what's that."

Azuna rubbed his forehead. This was going to be a long year.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He sat patiently on the tree branch all the while observing his charge, who was at the moment doing his best to draw on his chakra.

After a long talk with the boy about Chakra and its complexities, the man had showed him how to draw on his chakra. From his talk with the Hokage, he knew that the boy had unconsciously used it before.

He shook his head at the absurdity of it. To be able to mould chakra, however unrefined it may be, before even consciously drawing on it. That was unheard of.

He heard a frustrated shout come from the boy beneath him.

' _He is so much like Kushina. I don't know why people don't notice this.'_

"I'll do it this time, dattebayo!"

 _'Dattebasa!'_

"I won't give up"

' _I never give up'_

Cause thats my ninja way."

' _Cause thats my ninja way'_

He massaged his temple to ease the headache, abandoning that line of thought before that flashes started to reappear. Diverting his attention to his charge, he noticed a change in his surroundings.

"This is strange, the wind has picked up."

He felt it before he saw it.

A shockwave hit him causing the branch to sway, alerting him of the sudden heaviness in the air. The air surrounding the boy started to simmer before a geyser of blue erupted from the small body, surrounding it like a raging cyclone.

' _Pure chakra'_

Azuna, eyes wide, jumped down in front of the boy. He could not believe this. The boy had more chakra than he did.

"Incredible."

To manifest chakra into visible form required a shit-ton of it, making it so dense that it could be seen in the air. The rasengan was a perfect example.

The boy stood in the middle of it all, eyes closed and an intense look of concentration on his face. His fingers were still in a ram seal, a seal used for beginners to draw out their chakra for the first time.

To believe such a small child could have so much raw power stored in him. Where would this boy be in ten years time? It was a truly frightening thought.

Just as he was about to stop the boy, the chakra in the air suddenly vanished, leaving behind a light breeze. The boy opened his eyes, blinking a few times and stood up straight. A moment later, a bright grin emerged on his face.

"YATTA!"

The exclamation startled Azuna, who marveled at the boy's stamina.

 _'He isn't even winded'_

"Take that, I totally got it this time."

Naruto proceeded to do a victory dance. It took him 5 minutes to calm down.

"So what now."

"Let me tell you this kid, you got a lot of chakra."

He paused seeing Naruto was about to start celebrating again.

"But, it is unrefined, wild and does not have any direction."

Naruto faceplanted midstep.

"Your chakra is rough, like sandpaper. It resists you. You see when a person has a lot of chakra it is harder to maintain control over it and if he has less chakra, it's the opposite. In your case, well it would be alright to say that you have more chakra than any chunin in the village."

 _'Heck only the Hokage and handful of jonin have more chakra than him.'_

Naruto looked like a fish at that moment.

"And that's not all kid. Chakra capacity continues to grow with age. As of now, your control over chakra is bad. It will get worse with age if you don't do anything about it."

He paused seeing Naruto's growing horror.

"But you don't have to worry about it. I have some chakra control exercises that we will work on from tomorrow onwards. Along with that we will work on your taijutsu."

"Uh, tomorrow?"

"Yes tomorrow Naruto-kun."

Naruto spun around and saw Himako strolling towards them.

"Oba-san, you're back."

She ruffled his hair fondly.

"We have a meeting with the Hokage, so you better get cleaned up."

"Oh, alright. See ya later sensei "

"Farewell Uzumaki. Be sure that you are on time tomorrow.", Azuna said before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

"Alright lets head back Naruto-kun, we have a long day ahead of us."

Naruto obliged, falling in step with Himako.

It had been interesting, training with Azuna sensei. He had learned how to draw out his chakra and he was exited to be able to use it. He just couldn't understand one thing.

' _Why were there two kind of chakras in me'_

Sensei had said everyone's chakra was unique. Maybe that's what he meant. He tried not to think too much about it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I believe your training went well Naruto."

"You bet it old man. Sensei taught me how to use chakra today, said I had a lot of it."

"Really now."

"Yeah, he also said I'll have to control it but now we'll work on that tomorrow cause Oba-san said you called us. I could've done more training jiji."

"Ah, about that. Well..."

The Hokage's eyes flicked towards Himako before focusing on Naruto again. He steeled himself before speaking.

"Naruto, I have to inform you that you can no longer live in the Sarutobi compound."

It turned out to be a wise decision otherwise he would've cracked under the hurt look the boy threw his way.

"I can't live with Oba-san and Kono."

The boy was on the verge of tears. It had only been two days but the boy was already attatched to Himako and Konohamaru.

Seeing his jiji's stern face, any hope of that was lost.

"B-but w-hy, I'm sorry if I was a bad boy but" _Hiccup_ "But please. I promise I'll be good." _Hiccup_ "D-don't send me away."

Himako placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and felt him lean into the touch. She herself was on the verge of tears seeing the usually sunny boy break down. Her heart broke when amongst the hiccups and the tears the boy pleaded to them not to send him away. Right now she saw all the boy's insecurities laid out in front of her.

 _'He is afraid of rejection. Right now he feels as if we are doing just that and worse he blames himself for it.'_

Although the boy may not have noticed the village's prejudice towards him, the roots of it may have started to spread.

"We are not rejecting you Naruto-kun."

 _'Better get into the heart of the matter.'_

Seeing as the boy's attention was now focused on her, she continued.

"As a matter of fact if it were to us, we would've never let you go. But this matter is out of our hands, so we have decided to get you your own place. And to make sure that you are looked after I myself volunteered as your caretaker. So you dont need to worry ok, you'll see us everyday."

Naruto seemed to have calmed down and was now rubbing his eyes with his sleeves of his shirt.

"Promise me you wont send me away."

"Promise, Naruto-kun."

The Hokage rounded his desk to kneel in front of the boy.

"Naruto, I think of you as my grandson, but as Hokage, sometimes I have to take the hard decisions that you may not always like. But remember this, they are for your own good."

He stood up before turning his back to the boy.

"Bieng Hokage is not easy. The title itself comes with a lot of sacrifices, friends, family, life"

His head turned towards the picture of the fourth Hokage.

"There have been many outstanding shinobi in our village, but only four of them have gained this hat."

He tipped said hat towards the boy.

"The _Yondaime_ Hokage. One of the greatest ninja to have ever lived. He was said to have the potential to surpass all the previous Hokage. That man was the epitome of the word shinobi. Secured the highest recorded marks in the academy, you know. He was hailed as the fastest man alive, was the only shinobi ever to have a flee on sight order and it was due to his efforts that Konoha won the war."

He glanced towards the boy, whose eyes were fixed on the face which so much resembled his. He could see the beginnings of hero worship there.

 _'This is his father's lagacy, he deserves this much'_

"But do you know why he is hailed as Konoha's greatest hero."

"Tell me jiji, please"

"He died for this village."

 _*gasp*_

"Yes, in a completely selfless act, he gave up his life to save a thousand more. When Konoha was in need of a hero, he appeared in a yellow flash. He defeated the greatest threat Konoha had ever faced and the people respect him for it."

"Tell me Naruto, what did he die for."

"What?"

"You."

Naruto stood there, eyes wide.

"Me?"

"Yes, you and every other child of this village. He believed in you to carry the will of fire. My sensei, the _Nidaime_ Hokage, once said;

' _Protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And nurture those whom you can entrust the next generation.'_

"You my boy are the next generation. It is in your hands that the Yondaime left the village. You are the real king."

The Hokage then turned with a flourish of his robes and Naruto's eyes focused on the red letters emblazoned on the back.

' _Sandaime Hokage'_

Naruto had seen those words many times, but for the first time they held meaning to him.

"Our village is based on the ideals of the Shodaime Hokage. It was his dream to see the people under one banner."

The Hokage walked towards the window.

"Come here Naruto."

He waited for the boy to stand beside him before speaking.

"These trees you see, they were created by him."

Naruto's jaw dropped

"This is his legacy. As shinobi of the leaf it is our duty to preserve it. This sense of duty comes out of will to protect. A will forged in Iron. He called it _The Will Of Fire."_

"When I see you Naruto, I see this fire burn more brightly than any other."

He saw the boy straighten and a determined expression crossed his face.

"Now back to the matter at hand. As you were told, you would be getting your own apartment and Himako here is assigned as your caretaker. I personally saw to it that your residence be near the Sarutobi compound. This would make things easier for both of you. The apartment has all the basic necessities, anything more will be your responsibility Himako."

"Hai, anything else Naruto-kun should be aware of."

"Ah yes. I am assigning a monthly stipend for you. It would be enough to cover your expenses."

He then took a pen and wrote down the address.

"Here, I would like you to go there and help Naruto settle down as of today."

"Father, forgive me but isn't this a shinobi residence."

"Indeed it is."

He knew that placing the boy in the civilian sector would not be a wise decision. While the civilians were outright hostile, the shinobi were at worst indifferent. The boy had enough problems as it was, no need to add a 'vengeful idiot trying to kill the demon' into the mix. Naruto would be safe here.

"I see."

From the looks of it Himako knew it as well.

"That would be all, dismissed."

"Hai Hokage sama. Cm'on Naruto-kun lets go."

They had a long day ahead of them. It would be good to start early.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto had been unusually quiet since they had left the office. He hadn't even raised his head, just staring at the ground while walking. Himako was really worried.

"You know that were not abandoning you Naruto-kun."

She said to assure him while giving his hand a firm squeeze.

"It's not that Oba-san."

"Then tell me what's bothering you, you know that I'm always willing to listen."

He stayed quite for a moment before speaking.

"When jiji told me about the Yondaime, he said that he died to protect this village. He said that he died for the people, for me. What I don't understand is that why he did what he did. Jiji spoke about the _Will of Fire_. What is this thing that makes people die for others, disregarding their own safety to ensure that others stay safe. He said that he saw it in me, but I dont know Oba-san if I could do it. I don't know if I'll die for the village. It's scary and I know I'm a coward but..."

"Naruto-kun don't worry about it, I know it's scary. I used to be a konoichi and right now even I'm scared of death. It's human nature."

"Then how..."

"Naruto-kun, when you become a ninja you are an asset to the village. It is a shinobi's duty to lay down his life for the village. The _Will of Fire_ goes beyond that. It is a feeling that comes from here."

She placed a hand over his heart.

"This feeling comes to you when you have someone precious to protect. Then everything else seems meaningless. At that moment you're not scared anymore."

"Really."

"You'll know when the time comes."

She then bopped him over the head.

"Now get out of your slump we've only got a few hours to get you settled in your new apartment, so hurry up. We can have Ramen afterwards."

And just like that the boy was glowing again.

"Hai."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thunk.

' _Fate.'_

Thunk.

' _What does it even mean.'_

Thunk.

' _A choice, no. A burden.'_

Thunk.Thunk.

' _To live knowing you cannot find your own path._

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

' _To know that from the moment you are born to the moment you die, you are nothing but a puppet.'_

Thunk.

' _The feeling of despair that comes when you know that you can never truly live. That every breath you take is not yours to control, that every moment could be your last and that even knowing this you cannot do anything about it.'_

Thunk. Thunk.

' _Just like how it was my father's fate to be born minutes later and forever be branded by that accursed seal.'_

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

 _'Just like how it was his fate to be sacrificed in place of the main house member.'_

THUNK.

' _Just like how it is mine to serve those who are reposible for his death.'_

"Well done Neji, your form is good. Better than I would have hoped. Hizashi trained you well. Keep it up and you'll become an exellent shinobi."

The boy in question stood before a training post, or what remained of it. Arm extended parallel to the ground, palms facing forward, strands of blue chakra dissipating in the air.

"Thank you Hiashi _sama._ That is very generous coming from you. More so as I am a branch member. After all we are nothing more than sacrificial lambs."

Hiashi chose to ignore the poorly disguised insult. After all the boy had just lost his father, it was reasonable for him to be bitter.

"Now if you will excuse me Hiashi _sama._ I would like to be alone for a moment. It would be better if you focus on your daughter from now. She turned three yesterday, am I right. It wouldn't look good if I, a _branch_ family member could defeat the heiress of the clan."

Neji then left the dojo, leaving behind a very perturbed Hiashi Hyuga.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Itachi."

"Yes mother."

"Would you mind taking your brother for a walk. He's keeps badgering me about teaching him shuriken jutsu, Fugaku will be here any moment now and I haven't prepared dinner yet."

"Very well."

"You're very sweet Itachi, I'll be sure to make extra dango tonight."

"Thank you mother."

Mikoto Uchiha smiled at her son. He was such a wonderful boy.

An hour later:

"Nii-chan."

"Hmm"

Itachi and Sasuke were walking along the jetty at the bank of the Naka river. The two had left the house a while ago and now it was beginning to get dark.

"Why are you always so quiet."

"A good ninja is always silent."

"But you smile less than before."

"A good ninja always hides his emotions"

"I know you're trying to annoy me."

Itachi smiled.

"Whatever gives you that idea."

"Hn."

The smile vanished.

"What's wrong Sasuke."

"It's nothing. Forget it, just a silly thought."

He stopped walking .

"Tell me."

"Well, its just that you dont play ninja with me anymore and you come home after I'm asleep. You also don't eat food with us. I just think that one day you..."

"You just think that one day I'll leave you."

"Yes"

"Come here Sasuke."

 _Poke_

"You're my most precious person Sasuke and I'll never leave you. I will love you always."

Sasuke stared at him wide eyed

"Now come on foolish little brother, we better get home in time for dinner. "

"Hai"

Sasuke rubbed his forehead, a grin slowly stetching its way on his face.

 _'I love you too Nii-chan'_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well, everything seems to be in order."

"That looks awesome Oba-san."

Naruto and Himako stood in the middle of the single bedroom apartment. They had spent the whole day organizing everything in the apartment and then had went out shopping for anything missing.

Now Naruto had a fridge full of fresh food, A new wardrobe - nothing orange, and various other daily life necessities.

Apparently shinobi shops tolerated Naruto much better than their civilian counterparts. She had little doubt that her company had a large part in that.

After their shopping spree Himako had lectured Naruto on what to do and what not to do in his new home. Poking a fork in an electric socket was out of the question.

The Sarutobi woman had then proceeded to the Kitchen where she had then prepared a few dishes to be stored away in the fridge. It was a smart move as it would be one less hassle for tomorrow.

Now back to the present.

It was time for Himako to leave for her own home, she had spent the whole afternoon and evening helping the boy settle in his new apartment. Konohamaru was in the care of her maid, she could not wait anymore.

"Well then I better get going Naruto-kun. Be careful and stay safe. I'll come back tomorrow early in the morning, I have a spare key so don't worry. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry."

"Bye Oba-san, say hi to Kono for me."

"Sure will, goodbye Naruto-kun "

There was silence for a few seconds after her departure but it did not last long.

"I have my own apartment now, dattebayo!"

Further down the street Himako chuckled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **And thats done.**

 **Next chapter will have a time skip.**


	5. Ninja 101 arc: part 3

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never had, never will. Kishimoto beat me to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Is there something I should be aware of."

"Rumors, Hiruzen."

"Aah, I see. Rumors, as if such a thing exists in our world."

"Ignorance is bliss, Hiruzen. If I believe everything I hear, I might lose my mind. Why do you think I hire shinobi?"

"You live in an illusion Haruyoshi dono. In the world of ninja genjutsu can prove to be as deadly as any ninjutsu. Maybe even more."

"Well atleast this old man won't see death as it comes to claim him."

" _Rumors_ , you said."

"It seems Onoki has been in contact with a mercenary organization."

"Akatsuki."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Duck_

His breathing was laboured and his arms felt numb. Still his eyes were narrowed in focus.

 _Counter left. Duck._

He only had five more minutes for the first session to end. He could do this.

 _Leg sweep. Charge. Left jab. Right hook. Block. Retreat._

He would show sensei he was ready.

 _Block. Right jab. Right jab. Roundhouse._

He was at an advantage.

 _Lefthook. Block. Elbow. Duck. Counter right._

An opening

"Got you, you little shit."

 _Right uppercut..._

For a moment the world turned upside down.

"You lost, again."

His Sensei's face came into view.

As he lay on the grass, he realized that, what had seemed to be an opening at first glance was actually a feint.

One which he fell for.

It had been six months since he had started training with Azuna sensei. After that faithful day, where he had for the first time unlocked his chakra, Azuna sensei had drilled him on the basics. At first it had been endless hours of honing his skill at drawing out his chakra. Every day trying to stick a leaf at his head had been quite a bother and the crick in his neck had agreed wholeheartedly. Along with chakra control exercises, sensei had started him on the basic katas of what he dubbed the _Saru-Ken_ (monkey fist). A taijutsu style used by the Sarutobi.

As of now, Naruto had the leaf sticking exercise down pat, as well has the basic Katas of the Saru-Ken.

Still it had not been enough to defeat Chinpanji. The Monkey summon that was his sparring partner. A few days ago Azuna sensei had summoned the little primate and ordered him to spar with it.

 _"Knowing Katas does not necessarily means knowing how to fight.",_ He had said.

He had been absolutely right.

With a growl Naruto leapt to his feet, ready to charge at the Monkey again. Unfortunately it was for naught as Azuna grabbed him by the back of his collar. Naruto turned to glare at his sensei but made no further move to attack the monkey.

"Sit."

Naruto reluctantly sat down, a scowl on his face though it looked more like a pout than anything.

"This was your...53rd loss against Chinpanji. The summon hasn't even started training with the Monkey clan. It would be suffice to say your performance was poor."

"B-but I did every kata properly."

"Katas are only a way to show you the proper form, it does not mean that you should do them as it is. In a fight you have to be creative, you have to be a step ahead of your enemy, you have to do the unexpected. Even fight dirty. If you stick to the katas your enemy would be quick to interpret your moves and dispose of you."

"Then how..."

"What I am teaching you is the taijutsu style used by the monkey clan. Saru-Ken is considered one of the most versatile taijutsu styles known to us. It depends upon creativity and unpredictability to catch enemies of gaurd. The Saru-Ken is also referred to as the _art of eight limbs._ Those bieng the hands, elbows, knees and feet. From what I've seen you don't utilize those joints very much.There's also the factor of your height. It would be difficult for you to reach your enemies, but you can use that to your advantage. Use your stature to slip into their gaurd and attack there vitals. That way they'll be hard pressed to defent themselves."

Azuna finished his monologue to see that the boy was listening attentively.

 _Always eager to improve...just like Kushina._

He sighed. The flashback of that day still haunted him but now they were few and far between.

"Okay, get ready for the second session."

Seeing both the boy and the monkey take positions he announced.

"Begin"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hiruzen sat in his chair with a tired sigh. Meetings with the diamyo were always tedious. The new information regarding Iwa's ties to the mysterious organization had been troubling . The fact they new nothing about said organization except it's name did not sit well with him.

It was only thanks to Jiraiya keeping tabs on Orochimaru that they were even able to get that much.

His student's affiliation with Akatsuki was...worrisome, to say the least.

"Sometimes I wish Jiraiya was here."

"You called me Old man."

' _Speak of the devil'_

A small smile lit his old face.

"What brings you back to the village so early Jiraiya, your scheduled visit isn't due for another five months."

"What? Ain't happy to see me sensei and here I brought you the latest Icha Icha with omakes."

He waved the book lazily in his hand making the Hokage's cheeks turn red.

After a few minutes of greetings and casual banter the two suddenly turned serious.

"It isn't good sensei. Orochimaru is much more careful now. I believe that he's caught on. Furthermore he's been reported to have made several visits to the diamyo of the land of rice patties. Intel says that there has been an influx of shinobi there, but Im not sure. Land of rice patties is too close to the border of Hi no kuni. Border patrol should have been alerted."

"It would be better if you go check it out yourself."

"I'll do that."

"What about Akutsuki."

"Other than wearing cloaks embroidered with red clouds and Orchi-teme joining them, nothing much. Oh wait, I totally forgot. Kisame Hoshigaki has been reported as a member."

"The S-rank missing nin from Kiri"

"Yeah, apparently shark-man was last spotted in Nami no Kuni. He was wearing the same cloak."

"Are you sure, cause this is frightening news. Two S-rank missing nin in one organization."

"The info is reliable. I'll try to get a closer look but no guarantees."

"You do that. Is there anything else."

"Well...Kiri is now in a state of war."

At the Kage's raised eyebrow Jiraiya elaborated.

"The Mizukage fucked up. Mass genocide of bloodline users. Didn't sit well with Terumi Mei, so she gathered forces and started a rebellion. She's got spunk let me tell you. Already being considered as Godaime Mizukage if the rebellion wins."

"We can only hope that she's a better Kage than Yagura. Konoha could do well with another ally.

The two sat in silence with Jiraiya having nothing more to say. Well he did but...

"How's the boy."

"Fine."

"You know sensei, its your fault he doesn't even know me."

"It's better that way. Your appearance comes with many questions, the answers to which he is not ready for."

Jiraiya lost it.

"I'm the last of his family god dammit. Would it be so bad if he met me."

The Hokage remained impassive.

"I can't be there for him and he'll resent me for it. I'm not saying that I abandon my work but could a few hours every time I visit hurt that much."

"Your association with Naruto might as well paint a target on the boy's back. Ninja aren't stupid, most of them already suspect what is supposed to be the truth about his heritage. Same can be said for Iwa and Kumo. As if being a Jinchūriki was not enough. No need to put the boy in unnecessary danger."

"As if, I know about the kidnapping. He is already a target."

Sigh*

"It just that, sensei, I feel as if I have failed Minato."

"I know Jiraiya, we all have."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"A shuriken is one of the fundamentals for a ninja. It is as much of a weapon to you as any ninjutsu. A properly aimed shuriken can help you take out your target without expending any chakra thus making it a useful tool in combat."

Azuna reached into his holster and drew a shuriken.

"Today I'll be teaching you how to throw one."

He then threw the shuriken at the training dummy a few meters away where it buried halway into the head.

"Your turn."

Naruto stared at the ninja tool in his hand facinated by it. It was not your standard shuriken but an imitation. It was half the weight of an actual one and also smaller in size. Azuna sensei had said that it was used for training beginners.

"Be carefull not to chop of your fingers. It may be an imitation but is still sharp enough to pierce flesh. Hold it between your thumb and forefinger, that way you'll be less likely to cut yourself.

Naruto stepped forward and assumed a wider stance. His right hand fully extended. He pulled his hand back ready to throw the shuriken when...

"Wrong."

He face planted.

"Move your left leg forward otherwise you'll land on your face as soon as you make the throw. Also, don't extend your arm instead use your shoulder to generate the torque. Be careful not to strain you wrist in the process."

The boy huffed at the interruption but obeyed nonetheless.

The first shuriken struck and Azuna winced.

"Umm, you might wanna get that checked up Azuna Sensei. It looks painful."

"Grrrrr brat."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So how is his training progressing"

The Hokage chose to ignore the bandages on the man's shoulder..

"Satisfactory. The boy can perform the basic katas of the Saru-Ken to the point that he is functional in combat, though he is still learning how to tailor them to his need if the situation arises. His chakra control, frankly, is still poor if compared to his reserves but he has made headway with the leaf sticking exercise. His _shurikenjutsu_ leaves much to be desired but given time it'll reach acceptable levels."

"What more are you planning on teaching him."

"I believe it would be beneficial to start him on the intermediate level katas of the Saru-Ken. While he wont be able to get them down by the time academy starts, it'll still help his taijutsu come up a notch. A few chakra control exercises would do well. Furthermore I was planning on testing his skills at stealth and trapmaking."

For some reason Azuna felt a shiver go up his spine. Like he was making a deal with the devil.

"Lastly I plan on improving his physical endurance. He'll be younger than most of the children there so it'll be important for him to be able to match their strength atleast."

The Hokage leaned back with a calculating look in his eye.

"Alright this should be enough for him to be on level with the clan kids. I don't plan for him to graduate early. That would make him an easy target to internal and external forces. He will complete his six years at the academy and be placed on Kakashi's team when he's ten."

"The boy is sharp. You'll be hard pressed to keep him there for long."

"Tensions are high in and out of Konoha. I'm trying to keep him out of this for as long as possible. He's too young for the darkness of the shinobi world. At this stage he is malleable, which I have no doubt Danzo will try to exploit. Furthermore he is a high priority target in the eyes of Kumo, him leaving Konoha walls is the last thing we want."

"You think six years is enough time for the boy to become ready."

"Were already working on borrowed time. This is not a matter of if or when. The boy _has_ to be ready by then otherwise I'm afraid Konoha will fall."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto kicked a rock absentmindedly as he trudged down the unfamiliar path.

He was lost.

"Oba-san will be mad, I shouldn't have left the house without permission."

Adventurous as always Naruto had seen the opportunity and escaped his apartment when Himako had left to buy groceries. He wanted to explore the village.

It had been a bad experience.

The owner of the Dango shop had chased him out. He was confused as to why the man was angry at him, but didn't have time to ponder on the thought. He was so focused in escaping that he had ran nonstop for ten minutes. When he came to a stop he had found himself in an unfamiliar location.

The Red Light District, the sign had said.

The boy was so busy in his thoughts that he didnt se the man before he had already bumped into him.

"Hey brat watch where you're going."

"I'm not the one standing in the middle of the street."

Naruto glared up at the man, whose eyes widened a fraction.

"You've got a smart mouth Tell me what's a brat like you doing in a place like this."

"Well I m lost and...hey you can help me can't you."

"Sure can. Where do you want to go"

"Sarutobi compound, I know my way from there."

Suddenly a large hand rested on his head, there was a moment of weightlessness and he was standing at the gates of the Sarutobi compound.

He spun around but the man was gone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jiraiya sat atop a tree, watched the boy as he walked away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That's wrong Naruto-kun. You have to Multiply that first before Adding it."

"Aaaah, this is so boring. What has this gotta do with my ninja training."

Himako sighed. The boy might have potential to become a great ninja but when it came to written studies Naruto was a little slow.

"Now, now don't be like that. Math is just as important as any other subject in shinobi education. What kind of ninja doesn't even know basic math. It is necessary that you study it."

"But I dont wanna."

"But you have to. Even civilians know how to do math."

Naruto huffed a pout forming on his face.

"Atleast history is much better."

"You just like to read about the previous Hokage."

"Yeah I have to if I'm going to surpass them."

"They knew how to do Math."

Naruto groaned.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The past few weeks had been challanging for Naruto. As the academy session drew nearer his sensei's training became harsher. The number of laps around the training ground increased, the sparring sessions with Chinpanji grew longer, the chakra control exercises became more difficult and last of all his sensei picked a new hobby.

"AAAH YOU'RE CRAZY BAKA SENSEI."

"Shut up and dodge."

Naruto threw his body to the left, just in time to avoid a cluster of shuriken.

"I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE."

"Quit whining. This training is too increase your speed."

"I'M TELLING OBA-SAN ABOUT THIS."

He yelped as in response a volley of shuriken greeted him.

An hour of ducking, rolling, dodging and overall trying not to look like a pincushion later.

"Youre evil sensei."

"Serves you right for painting my mask pink."

Naruto was sprawled on his back, panting from the harsh exercise, but the grin on his face was permanent.

"Yeh, Naruto Uzumaki number one prankster at your service."

Azuna facepalmed.

He had created a monster.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He stared at the entrance of what would now be his home away from home.

The Shinobi Academy.

The large building loomed over them, the kanji of fire displayed proudly over the red surface.

Beside him Himako remained silent, observing the boy for some kind of reaction.

Naruto just kept staring, his thoughts running a mile.

' _This was it. This was what he had been waiting for, what he had trained for. This was the beginning of his future as a ninja.'_

He took a deep breath.

Slow but confident steps led him to his destination.

This was the beginning of a Legend.

This was the beginning of Naruto Uzumaki.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Okay before anyone starts to burn me over Naruto not graduating early, despite being more skillful than his canon counterpart, here are my reasons.**

 **1) This Naruto maybe trained properly but he's nothing extraordinary (for now). His training is just basic ninja training which most clan kids do.**

 **2) Canon Sasuke did not graduate early, despite having the skills. He knew elemental manipulation for God's sake.**

 **3) He's four. Thats already two years ahead of his age group.**

 **4) And before you rant how Kakashi or Itachi graduate early, there's was a freaking war going on. More child soldiers yada yada yada.**

 **Get my point.**


End file.
